{"id":52081,"date":"2025-01-09T13:38:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T21:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=52081"},"modified":"2025-01-09T18:19:49","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T02:19:49","slug":"magnetic-stimulation-can-effectively-treat-severe-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/magnetic-stimulation-can-effectively-treat-severe-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"Magnetic Stimulation Can Effectively Treat Severe Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Magnetic Stimulation Can Effectively Treat Severe Depression<\/h1>\t\t<time>January 9, 2025<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_0037865896fd92af0b2caff8687e31b8\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Severe depression is a common mental health condition, affecting millions of adults and adolescents in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many people with major depressive disorder, a combination of medication and psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) can keep symptoms in check. For some however, these traditional treatments are not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNationally, about 30% of people with major depressive disorder are resistant to treatment, meaning that traditional treatment does not work for them,\u201d said Psychiatrist <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/patients-visitors\/find-a-doctor\/cothran-kyle-1639732951\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kyle Cothran, MD<\/a>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/find-a-location\/samaritan-mental-health-corvallis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samaritan Mental Health &#8211; Corvallis<\/a>. \u201cA person is treatment resistant if they\u2019ve tried two medications for depression without easing symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For these people, interventional psychiatry can offer a larger psychiatric toolbox of treatment options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-interventional-psychiatry\">What Is Interventional Psychiatry?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Interventional psychiatry is an emerging medical subspecialty that uses technology to identify and treat problems in the brain that can cause psychiatric disorders. Procedures use different methods and technologies to stimulate the brain in areas which are causing a person\u2019s mental health disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) are the more common interventions used to help patients, only TMS is currently available at Samaritan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-tms-works\">How TMS Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At a basic level, the brain uses chemicals and electrical impulses to communicate with itself and the rest of the body. For those with depression, the brain acts differently than the typical brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cImaging studies have shown that in people who have major depressive disorder, a part of the brain called the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is less active than it should be. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is used to \u2018wake up\u2019 that part of the brain to get it functioning better again,\u201d said Dr. Cothran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe way TMS works is by pulsing electricity through a device that is held against the head. The electricity does not go into the brain but creates a fluctuating magnetic field in the brain in a very targeted location. That magnetic field induces the brain\u2019s natural electrical signals in the neurons,\u201d said Dr. Cothran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The procedure is non-invasive, meaning the procedure is done without surgery or cutting of the skin. While TMS can also be used to treat some cases of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), its primary use is for depression in those ages 15 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRoughly 70% of people treated with TMS have at least a 50% reduction in depression, and about 30% of people reach remission,\u201d Dr. Cothran noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-does-the-procedure-feel-like\">What Does the Procedure Feel Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>TMS treatment begins by mapping the individual\u2019s brain to find the spot that needs treatment. Once located, the device is placed over that area and begins pulsing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe patient will feel a tapping sensation on the scalp. There is no part of the device actually tapping on the scalp, but it truly feels like it,\u201d explained Dr. Cothran. \u201cFor the first couple weeks of treatment, the patient usually feels some tenderness of the scalp and sometimes a headache after each daily treatment. Both side effects usually resolve each day, or with assistance from over-the-counter pain relievers if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typical TMS treatment takes 36 treatments of about 30 minutes each. Over time the treatment may need to be repeated, but not always. TMS is generally covered by most insurances after some qualifications have been met, such as adequate trials of at least two medications and at least six weeks of psychotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-patient-skepticism-is-common\">Patient Skepticism Is Common<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While TMS has been in use since its approval by the FDA in 2008, it is still not widely known by those outside the medical field, so it is natural for a patient to feel skeptical, noted Dr. Cothran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPatients are used to doctors recommending a medication, vaccine, imaging studies or surgery, but when I tell a patient that I am going to turn an electrified coil into a magnet next to their head and their depression will get better, many are skeptical or nervous. I understand that reaction,\u201d Dr. Cothran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHowever, we have lots of <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/?term=transcranial+magnetic+stimulation&amp;timeline=expanded\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">evidence and research<\/a> to support that TMS works well, even when other treatments fail,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, patients do not feel pain during or after treatment beyond scalp sensitivity and some headaches. In rare instances \u2014 fewer than 0.1% of cases \u2014 a seizure can occur during treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTMS has been shown to be a safe procedure. It is rewarding to me to see people who have been in pain for so long start to feel joy and hope again,\u201d said Dr. Cothran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-results-are-noticeable\">Results Are Noticeable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It can take about four weeks before patients notice differences, Dr. Cothran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhile patients do not often notice much change during the first four weeks often the people around them, such as a significant other or their therapist, do. For example, they do not feel different, but they have picked up their guitar and played it for the first time in six years, something small like that,\u201d Dr. Cothran explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After four weeks, changes will be more noticeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPatients have told me this treatment changed their lives. They can get back to work and do the things they enjoy again,\u201d said Dr. Cothran. \u201cOne patient with young children told me her kids could see her smiling again, and as a father of three small kids myself, her comment really hit home for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am proud to be a part of Samaritan, which had the first TMS chair in Oregon. We continue to find ways to increase access to these treatments that can provide so much relief for those struggling with treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. We need our community\u2019s help in getting rid of the stigma of mental illness and encouraging each other to reach out for help if we are struggling,\u201d Dr. Cothran said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLife is so short, and TMS and other interventional psychiatry procedures have helped people get back to connecting with others and finding meaning in their lives. Depression no longer needs to cloud the picture for people for so long,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn whether transcranial magnetic stimulation can help you, talk with your primary care provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Psychiatrist Kyle Cothran, MD, sees patients at Samaritan Mental Health \u2013 Corvallis. To reach him call 541-812-5235.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/woman-in-contemplative-mood-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/woman-in-contemplative-mood-CO.jpg 360w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/woman-in-contemplative-mood-CO-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/woman-in-contemplative-mood-CO-120x100.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When depression doesn\u2019t respond to traditional therapies, hope is not lost. Psychiatrist Kyle Cothran, with Samaritan Mental Health \u2013 Corvallis explains how this therapy is helping people find relief from treatment-resistant depression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":13221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[293],"news-types":[270],"services":[248],"specialty":[46],"class_list":["post-52081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-topics-wellness","news-types-feature-article","services-mental-behavioral-health","specialty-mental-health"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52081"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=52081"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=52081"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=52081"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=52081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}